[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4494-4496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1585]




[[Page 4493]]

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Part III





Department of the Interior





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Bureau of Indian Affairs



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Grant Availability to Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes for Projects 
Implementing Traffic Safety on Indian Reservations; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 14 / Monday, January 23, 1995 / 
Notices  
[[Page 4494]] 
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Grant Availability to Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes for 
Projects Implementing Traffic Safety on Indian Reservations

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs intends to make funds available 
to federally-recognized Indian tribes on an annual basis for the 
purpose of implementing traffic safety projects which are designed to 
reduce the number of traffic accidents and their resulting fatalities, 
injuries, and property damage within Indian reservations. Due to the 
limited funding available for this program, all projects will be 
reviewed and selected on a competitive basis. This notice is intended 
to inform Indian tribes on the availability of funds and the process in 
which the projects are selected.

DATES: Requests for funds must be received by June 1 of each program 
year. Information packets will be distributed on February 24, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Each tribe must submit its request to the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Division of Safety Management, Attention: Indian Highway 
Safety Program Coordinator. Information packets will be distributed on 
February 24, 1995, to all tribal leaders at the addresses shown on the 
latest Tribal Leaders List which is compiled by the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Tribal Government Services, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tribes should direct questions 
concerning the grant program to Norma D. Long, the Bureau's Indian 
Highway Safety Program Coordinator or to Charles L. Jaynes, Program 
Administrator, Bureau of Indian Affairs, P.O. Box 2006, Albuquerque, 
New Mexico 87103; telephone: (505) 766-2181.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 (Pub. L. 93-87) provides for 
U.S. Department of Transportation funding to assist Indian tribes in 
implementing highway safety projects. These projects are designed to 
reduce the number of traffic crashes and their resulting fatalities, 
injuries, and property damage within Indian reservations. All 
federally-recognized Indian tribes on Indian reservations are eligible 
to receive this assistance. All tribes which avail themselves of this 
assistance are reimbursed for cost incurred under the terms of 23 USC 
Sec. 402 and subsequent amendments.

Responsibilities

    For purposes of application of the Act, Indian reservations are 
collectively considered a ``State'' and the Secretary, U.S. Department 
of the Interior (DOI), is considered the ``Governor of a State.'' The 
Secretary, DOI, delegated the authority to administer the programs 
throughout all the Indian reservations in the United States to the 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs. The Assistant Secretary--Indian 
Affairs further delegated the responsibility for primary administration 
of the Indian Highway Safety Program to the Central Office Division of 
Safety Management (DSM), located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Chief, 
DSM, as Program Administrator of the Indian Highway Safety Program, has 
two full-time staff members to assist in program matters and provide 
technical assistance to the Indian tribes. It is at this level that 
contacts with the Department of Transportation are made with respect to 
program approval, funding of projects and technical assistance. The 
Department of Transportation, through the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration 
(FHWA), is responsible for assuring that the Indian Highway Safety 
Program is carried out in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 402 and other 
applicable Federal regulations.
    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible 
for the apportionment of funds to the Secretary of the Interior, review 
and approval of the Indian Highway Safety Plan involving NHTSA highway 
safety program areas and technical guidance and assistance to BIA.
    The Federal Highway Administration is responsible for review and 
approval of the Indian Highway Safety Plan involving FHWA highway 
safety program areas and technical guidance and assistance to BIA.

Program Areas

    The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 
1987, 23 U.S.C. 402(j), required the Department of Transportation to 
conduct a rulemaking process to determine those programs most effective 
in reducing traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities. Those program 
areas were determined to be national priority program areas, and 
include NHTSA Program areas: (1) Alcohol; (2) Police Traffic Services; 
(3) Occupant Protection; (4) Traffic Records, and; (5) Emergency 
Medical Services. FHWA Program Area: Traffic Engineering Services. 
NHTSA and FHWA Program Areas: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety.

Funding Criteria

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs will reimburse for eligible costs 
associated with the following:
    (1) Alcohol--Salary (DWI enforcement officer); enforcement/
education; NHTSA approved Training; Approved breath-testing equipment 
(must be included on most recent Conforming Product List); community/
school alcohol traffic safety education; DWI offender education; 
prosecution; adjudication; and vehicle expenses.
    (2) Police Traffic Services--Salary (traffic enforcement/
education); traffic law enforcement/radar training; speed enforcement 
equipment (must be listed on Consumer Products List); community/school 
education; and vehicle expenses.
    (3) Occupant Protection--(1) Child Passenger Safety--child car seat 
loaner program; car seat transportation/storage, and; public 
information/education. (B) Community Seat Belt Program--Salary; 
education/promotional materials; office expenses, and; NHTSA-approved 
Occupant Protection Usage and Enforcement (OPUE) Training.
    (4) Traffic Records--Salary; computerized equipment.
    (5) Emergency Medical Services--Training; public information 
education.
    (6) Traffic Engineering Services--Traffic signs (warning, 
regulatory, work zone); hardware and sign posts.

Project Guidelines

    Information packets will be forwarded to the tribes in the month of 
February of each program year. Upon receipt of the information packet, 
each tribe should prepare a proposed project based upon the following 
guidelines:
    A. Program Planning. Program planning shall be based upon the 
highway safety problems identified and countermeasures selected by the 
tribe for the purpose of reducing traffic crash factors.
    B. Problem Identification. Highway traffic safety problems shall be 
identified from the best data available. These data may be found in 
tribal enforcement records on traffic crashes. Other sources of data 
include ambulance records, court and police arrest records. The problem 
identification process may be aided by using professional opinions of 
personnel in law enforcement, Indian Health Service, driver education, 
road [[Page 4495]] engineers, etc. These data should accompany the 
funding request. Impact problems should be indicated during the 
identification process. An impact problem is a highway safety problem 
that contributes to car crashes, fatalities and/or injuries, and one 
which may be corrected by the application of countermeasures. Impact 
problems can be identified from analysis of statewide and/or tribal 
traffic records. The analyses should consider, as a minimum: 
pedestrian, motorcycle, pedalcycle, passenger car, school bus, and 
truck accidents; records on problem drivers, roadside and roadway 
hazards, alcohol involvement, youth involvement, defective vehicle 
involvement, suspended or revoked driver involvement, speed involvement 
and child safety seat usage. Data should accompany the funding request.
    C. Countermeasures Selection. When tribal highway traffic safety 
problems are identified, appropriate countermeasures shall be developed 
by the tribe to solve or reduce the problems. The development of these 
countermeasures should take into account the overall cost of the 
countermeasures versus its possible effects on the problem.
    D. Objectives/Performance Indicators. After countermeasure 
selection, the objective(s) of the project must be expressed in clearly 
defined, time-framed and measurable terms.
    E. Budget Format. The activities to be funded shall be outlined 
according to the following object groups: personnel services, travel 
and transportation, rent/communications, printing & reproduction, other 
services, equipment, and training. Each object group shall be 
quantified, i.e., personnel activities should show number to be 
employed, hours to be employed, hourly rate of pay, etc. Each object 
group shall have sufficient detail to show what is to be procured, unit 
cost, quarter in which the procurement is to be made and the total 
cost, including any tribal contribution to the project. Due to limited 
funding, this office will limit indirect costs to a maximum of 15%.
    F. Evaluation Plan. Evaluation is the process of determining 
whether a highway safety activity should be undertaken, if it is being 
properly conducted and if it has accomplished its objectives. A plan 
explaining how the evaluation will be accomplished and identifying the 
criteria to be used in measuring performance shall be included in the 
funding request.
    G. Technical Assistance. The Indian Highway Safety Program staff 
will be available to tribes for technical assistance in the development 
of tribal projects.
    H. Section 402 Project Length. Section 402 funds shall not be used 
to fund the same project at one location or jurisdiction for more than 
three years.
    I. Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirement. Indian 
tribes receiving highway safety grants through the Indian Highway 
Safety Program must certify that they will maintain a drug-free 
workplace. The certification must be signed by an individual authorized 
to sign for the tribe or reservation. The certification must be 
received by the Department of Transportation prior to the release of 
grant funds for that tribe or reservation. The certification must be 
submitted with the tribal highway safety project proposal.

Submission Deadline

    Each tribe must submit its funding request to the BIA Indian 
Highway Safety Program, Albuquerque, NM. The request must be received 
by the Indian Highway Safety Program by June 1 of each program year. 
Requests for extension of this deadline will not be granted. 
Modifications of the funding request received after the close of the 
funding period will not be considered in the review and selection 
processes.

Selection Criteria

    Each project funding request will be reviewed and evaluated by the 
Indian Highway Safety Program staff and ranked by assigning points to 
four areas of consideration. Those areas of consideration and their 
respective point values are listed below:

Magnitude of Problem--50 Points

    1. Does a highway safety problem exist?
    2. Is the problem significant?
    3. Does the project contribute to the solution of the problem 
identified?
    4. Number of traffic crashes last three years? Alcohol related?
    5. Number of reported fatalities last three years? Alcohol related? 
Speed related?
    6. Safety Belt/Child Safety Seat Usage data.
    7. Law Enforcement data--violations/tickets issued.
    8. Conviction data.
    9. Tribal Safety Belt/Child Safety Seat Ordinance implemented.

Countermeasures Selection--40 Points

    1. Are the countermeasures selected the most effective?
    2. Are they cost effective?
    3. Have objectives been stated in realistic performance terms and 
are they attainable?
    4. Are the objectives time-framed and are the time-frames realistic 
and attainable?

Tribal Leadership and Community Support--10 Points

    1. Are tribal resources used in this project? Tribal Resolution?
    2. Does the project have community support? Support Letters?
    3. Does the tribe have an ordinance or law which supports the 
project?

Past Performance + or -10 Points.

    1. Reporting (Financial & Programmatic).
    2. Accomplishments.

Notification of Selection

    The tribes selected to participate will be notified by letter. Each 
tribe selected must have a Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements, and a duly authorized Tribal resolution included in their 
proposal. The certification and resolution must be on file prior to the 
release of grant funds for the tribe or reservation.

Notification of Non-Selection

    The Program Administrator will notify each tribe of non-selection. 
The tribe will be provided the reason for non-selection.

Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant-in-Aid

    Uniform grant administration procedures have been established on a 
national basis for all grant-in-aid programs by DOT/NHTSA under 49 CFR 
Part 18, ``Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.'' Uniform 
procedures for State Highway Safety Programs have been codified by 
NHTSA and FHWA in 23 CFR Parts 1200, 1204, and 1205. Cost principles 
applicable to grants and contracts with state and local governments 
have been established by OMB Circular A-87 and NHTSA Order 462-13A. It 
is the responsibility of the Indian Highway Safety Program to establish 
operating procedures consistent with the applicable provisions of the 
aforementioned rules and regulations, and guidelines established under 
the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-
240, 105 Stat. 1914).

Standards for Financial Management System

    Tribal financial management systems must provide for:
    1. Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of financial results 
of the highway safety project. [[Page 4496]] 
    2. Adequate recordkeeping.
    3. Control over and accountability for all funds and assets.
    4. Comparison of actual with budgeted amounts.
    5. Documentation of accounting records.
    6. Appropriate auditing. Highway safety projects will be included 
in the tribal A-128 Single Audit requirement.
    Tribes will provide a quarterly financial and a program status 
report to the Bureau's Indian Highway Safety Program Coordinator, P.O. 
Box 2006, Albuquerque, NM 87103. These reports will be submitted no 
later than seven (7) days beyond the reporting month.

Project Monitoring

    During the program year, it is the responsibility of the BIA Indian 
Highway Safety Program to maintain a degree of project oversight, 
provide technical assistance as needed to assist the project in 
fulfilling its objectives, and assure that grant provisions are 
complied with.

Project Evaluation

    A performance evaluation will be conducted for each highway safety 
project by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The evaluation will measure 
the actual accomplishments of the planned activity. On-site project 
evaluation/monitoring will be made at the discretion of the Indian 
Highway Safety Program Administrator.

    Dated: December 30, 1994.
Ada E. Deer,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-1585 Filed 1-20-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P